


Always Here

by Avlaske



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Delusions, Fix-It, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-07
Updated: 2013-07-07
Packaged: 2017-12-17 22:46:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/872823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avlaske/pseuds/Avlaske
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint is totally okay with hallucinations, especially when they're of his handler.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always Here

"Did you remember to add salt this time?"

Clint rolled his eyes. 

"Sir, yes sir."

"Who was it that added sugar last time?" Coulson dryly remarked.

"Hey! That only happened once!"

"Enough for a lifetime. It's about to boil."

"I know that! See, I already lowered the burner."

Coulson smirked. "I'm so proud of you."

"Fuck you, Coulson."

"Your steak is on fire."

"What? Oh, fuck! Shit!"

"Language, Barton."

"Seriously? That's what you say instead of helping me?"

Coulson shrugged his shoulders. "You wanted to cook."

Clint grumbled to himself. "Doesn't mean you can't help me." 

Clint raised his head at the silence that followed, and met Coulson's gaze.

"You know why I can't," Coulson replied gently.

Clint gritted his teeth, eyes staring determinedly at his feet.

"By the way," Coulson says offhandedly, "your not-boiling-pot is spilling over the edges and onto the burner."

"Wha-" Clint stares in horror as said pot sputters water in every direction. "I lowered the temperature!"

"No, you didn't. You pulled on the wrong knob."

"Why didn't you say anything?!"

"I wanted to see what would follow."

Clint felt his eye twitch. He took the apron wrapped around his waist and threw it on the counter. "That's it! I give up! I'm never cooking again!"

He stormed from the kitchen and into the bedroom, ignoring Coulson's ‘Yes, you will’, and slammed the door behind him.

++++++

"I'm surprised you stayed mute today."

"Oh?"

Clint quickly glances his way. He stares at the way Coulson is holding himself and scoffs.

"With Stark? Hell yeah! I'm surprised you didn't tase the guy."

"Mr. Stark is-"

"A rich bastard that supplies us with equipment and money, so play nice?" He grins cheekily.

He also almost cooed at Coulson's glare. His handler was too attractive for his age.

"I really did wish you could taze him."

He reveled in the silence that followed.

"I do as well."

++++++

"You're crazy."

"Hey, you were the one who picked up this crazy person. What does that make you?"

"The unfortunate misinformed individual."

"Don't even give me that! I-"

"Barton?"

Clint startled, turning his head to look at the front door. "Woah, hey! I didn't know you had a clone!"

"What?" The Coulson at the door says. "What are you talking about?"

Clint rolls his eyes. "I guess no one told this one." He stared at the second Coulson with an amused but sad smile. "You can't have more than one illusion at a time. You should know that."

The second Coulson started, and then gave him an anguished face that had his heart clench. Instead, he let out a bark of bitter laughter. "I didn't even know Coulson could make that kind of a face. You're not a really good hallucination if you're not acting like him!"

"Barton...Clint, I'm real."

Clint shook his head and snorted. "I know, I know. You're real. Every single one of you is real. God forbid I call any of you a hallucination. Geez, you're all so sensitive."

In short, fast strokes, the second copulation appeared in front of him, a hand reaching out for his shoulder. He quickly maneuvered out of the way. "Hey, you might be new, but the rules are 'don't touch Barton', you got it? Swell!”

"Clint."

“Don’t. You are not real,” Clint reassures soothingly. “It’s okay. You seem to remember my name. Say it with me. Clint.”

“Clint,” the look Coulson had was a painful one that had even his heart clenching.

Clint grins. “That’s right, it’s Clint. You’re adapting quicker than the rest. Are you starting to remember? I was your asset, and you were my handler. Don’t worry too much if you can’t remember a lot. It comes back eventually. You’ll be as quirky as Coulson has always been. Well, when I say quirky,” Clint snorts. He really meant as quirky as Coulson can be. He was more dry than anything. 

He takes a step back when the other Coulson tried to come closer. He tuts his tongue. “Hey there, just because I’m okay with this, that first rule still exists, okay? No touching.”

“Why?”

Clint frowned. The other Coulsons never questioned him before. “Well, because you’re not real.”

“What does that matter?” And there was the sweet look Coulson had on his face that Clint could never deny, let it be a coffee run or taking a shot.

He hesitates for a second, but what the heck, it wasn’t as though he was Phil. “Because he’s the only Phil I want touching me.”

“Is that so?” This Coulson had a contemplating look on his face. “What if I am?”

Clint shook his head slowly. “You’re not.”

“What if I am?” 

“You’re not,” Clint denies firmly. “You can’t be, because he died.”

“What if I am?” Coulson repeats for a third time, hand moving near his face. It hovers an inch over his cheek. 

Clint swallowed, body tensing in anticipation. "Please don't," he whispers, voice high pitched and nervous. "If you’re not real, don’t touch me. Don't give me false hope."

"I won't," Coulson says simply and smiles softly at him. The hand that cups his face is so warm that he finds himself leaning towards it.

"Phil?" he chokes out, his voice wrecked and painfully hopeful. He grabs Phil’s hand with both of his own, holding it against his cheek as though it was his lifeline.

"I’m real," Phil says with a warm gaze. "I'm here."


End file.
